The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-06-30


cultivating ten.acre plants for two sue
cessive years, Mr.. Peterkin undertook
this season to plant and cultivate fifty
acres of cotton, with one mule, and make
fifty bales. His report is that the out.
look for success is good. BE expects to
make fifty bales of 500 pounds each on
the fifty acres; to put the cotton on the
market at cost of less than three cents
pound; and, if be receives ten cents a
pound, to clear 81 500 on the lot.
Of the methods be employs Mr.. Peter
kin does not now attempt to give a full
account. He says, however, that the
fifty acres "are planted altogether differ
emily from the usual CUSTOM" and he
points out one important difference. BE
says: "Instead of planting on the bed, I
have planted in the alley or water fur
row, and, instead of ploughiDg dirt up.
hill, am throwing it down.hill, and I
find it much easier to do" The hoeing
will be done for "less than one dollar per
acre." and the plant "will stand any
drought we have ever had. Not a single
root is euer cut" There is great deal in
even these few hints for every farmer to
think about. The wisdom of the plan
so far discovered is apparent on its face.
1t is evident that Mr.. Peterkin starts
out with two plain, consistent principles,
and these are revealed in the remarks we
have quoted. The effects of drought are
prevented by planting the cotton in the
water. falrow instead of setting it upon a
narrow bed of porous soil, which neces.
sarily dries through and through after
many days exposure to sun and wind.
By setting it lower, the roots of the plant
are kept in moist ground, which is
assumed to be we'll drained, and the re.
suit is stated in the few words: ut will
stand any drought we have ever had"
The next point is not less important.
The plant is placed where its roots can
find water, and are protected from
baking; but that is not all. "Not a
single root is ever cut" This is common
sense, and the wisdom of the precaution
does not require to be argued. Much of
the nourishment of the plant is derived
through the roots, and every one that is
cut means so much nourishment lost to
the plant, so much cotton lost to the
planter. tits as necessary to protect his
cotton from injury as to protect his stock
from wounding. The farmer might just
as we'll try to raise fine cattle by bleeding
them or breaking their legs, as to try to
raise cotton by bleeding the plant and
breaking its roots, and this is the error
that Mr. Peterkin is most careful to avoid.
sNot a single root is ever cut" This
one golden rule cannot be repeated too
often. 70
How cutting is avoided is explained
briefly. Mr.. Peterkin's advice, be says,
is opposed to David Dixon's. Dixon
said "Plough with a fat-running
sweep and cultivate level, so as not to
cut the roots" Mr.. Peterkin thinks this
cannot be done. eff you plant on a bed,
I don't care how low it is, and cultivate
with fat.running Dixon sweep, you are
cutting the most,important roots all the
time! No implement could be invented
that would do more HARM" Mr.. Peter
kin uses different kind of sweep, which
he finds answers the purpose he keeps
mainly in view, and which he comes
back to at every stage of his article.
The outcome of Mr.. Peterkin's expert.
ment will be looked for with profound
interest by every intelligent cotton farm.
er in South Carolina, and if he attains
the success which be believes to be
already assured the fuller description of
his methods will go far towards reyolu'
tionizing cotton farming in South Caro-
lima, and in the South generally. 1t
should be added here that he expresses
the belief that cotton at 10 cents pound
'is the highest, priced product in the
world :" that on well.drained high lands
short staple cotton should be made at "a
/ cost of not more than cents a pound,
and that South Carolina is a better place
to raise cotton than even the rich bot.
toms OF the Mississippi" At the rate
of bale. to the acre Mr.. Peterkin finds
the crop to be "selfsustaining-that is
to say the seed, when turned into meal,
will give enough to fertilize the land and
buy acid phosphate to 60 with it and
have little left to fertilize corn"
1t should also be added chat, while he
does not explain his method fully, Mr.
Peterkin is careful to say that it does not
consist in extravagant fertiliziDg. He
avoids "the Fnrman intensive SYSTEM u
because he believes it to be expensive
and uncertain, and because high fertiliz
ing is dangerous without perfect seasons
all through the year. The Peterkin in:
tensiye system is explained in part by
the rules above given, and by the furthe,
statement that be "intensifes on big
mule that is worth as much as two ordi'
nary mules" and "intensifes also on 8
big negro that starts his plough at day
break on Monday morning and ploughf
until dark, or as long as he can see, and
keeps it up until Saturday night" The
promised result is fifty bales of cotton
produced by the labor of one mule, on
fifty acres of land; and this is comment
enough on the Peterkin system.
GLOW long did you say you had
been a widow, Mrs. Frank" "Aboul
two years, sir" "And have you become
reconciled to your loss, YETI" "Well.
partly" "Partly How am to under.
ttyYy,